Springtime Romance and Town Traditions: An Ultimate Episode Guide to Gilmore Girls
A list of all the episodes you need to watch during the spring season!
Another season is upon us. 🌸 Following the success of our autumn and winter Gilmore Girls episode guides, at rmrk*st we are ready for the new beginnings and blossoming romances that Stars Hollow has to offer for the spring season. Grab your (homemade lunch) baskets, and get ready to go through this (hay-bale) maze of episodes that will have you hitting the play button over and over again.
Season 1
Episode 13, “Concert Interruptus”
If you are feeling like you need to get ahead of your spring cleaning, put this episode on as our favorite townies get stuff together for their town rummage sale. Just don’t pull a Lorelai and start buying up other people’s junk. You are supposed to get the junk out of your house, not replace it with new junk—even if you look cute in the leopard print cowboy hat.
Episode 14, “That Damn Donna Reed”
It’s not just a show. It’s a lifestyle. The most quoted episode feels like a very normal week around the town. Lorelai & Rory are having their normal tv binging night, Rory is cat-sitting for Babette, and Lorelai is helping Luke pick out paint colors for the diner. Spring always feels like it is a good time for a spruce.
Episode 15, “Christopher Returns”
You either love or hate Christopher, but one thing we know for sure is that we’d be down for a softball game between Luke and Dean. We are totally here for the heckling from Kirk. We might even join in. This sounds like a perfect spring Stars Hollow day, followed by some book shopping. We all need a compact Oxford English dictionary, don’t we?
Episode 16, “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers”
Nothing says spring like new, budding relationships, and everyone is pairing up in this episode, much to Lorelai’s disdain. She may just puke if someone says “Hey, how’s it going?” But the happy-go-lucky doesn’t last, at least for Rory.
Episode 17, “The Breakup, Part II”
Instead of wallowing in her heartbreak, Rory is ready to tackle the weekend to get all the boring stuff done. I mean, who doesn’t want to buy a new garden hose at 7am on a Saturday? Lorelai, that’s who. At least give her coffee first. There are some new relationships in this one too, with Lane meeting Henry at Madeline’s party. We can’t believe that she gave her actual phone number to a potential Korean doctor too.
Episode 19, “Emily in Wonderland”
Grab your walking shoes because the only way to have a proper Stars Hollow tour is on foot. The true Stars Hollow experience, according to Rory. We wouldn’t mind spending the day with Emily Gilmore, shopping for antiques. We know Emily is going to get all the good deals. There are just not enough scenes with Emily and Mrs. Kim so we are eating this one up with a big spoon.
Episode 20, “P.S. I Lo…”
1-2-3…He’s yours. This feels like it would be a fun game on a spring day in Stars Hollow in between all the homework that needs to get done. Lorelai goes shopping for Luke because he should never be buying cat pot holders for Rachel. Lorelai has the day off and is going to go to the mall anyway. How can anyone resist a spring sale of 6000% off?!
Episode 21, “Love, Daisies and Troubadours”
Troubadours battling it out for their right to sing around town… Whose side are you on? It’s just enough town meeting excitement that will keep us coming back for more. Throw in a thousand yellow daisies with a marriage proposal, and we just may have to sit down like Lorelai. Our spring hearts are full with this episode.
Season 2
Episode 13, “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”
Are you a Lorelai or a Sookie when it comes to your basket-making meal? Are you throwing in whatever you have in your fridge—possibly expired contents—or making three different kinds of pesto? Maybe all you want are some crinkle cut carrot sticks. Some of us are easy to please, like Kirk. Just remember to have two forms of identification if you are paying by check.
Episode 15, “Lost and Found”
Let this episode be a reminder for you to clean out those rain gutters. If you find an “I Like Ike” sticker, you know it is way overdue. You can always reward yourself with some leftover Chinese food. You can always spend hours at the book sale instead.
Episode 16, “There’s The Rub”
A spa day gives us that sense of spring renewal, but one with Emily & Lorelai doesn’t sound as relaxing as it should be… don’t mind us if we escape into the quiet room. We promise that we will burn the house down after ordering the Indian food.
Episode 17, “Dead Uncles & Vegetables”
Who are you buying turnips from this spring? Taylor battling it out with the town troubadour-turned-produce seller is worth watching this whole episode. Emily also helps Sookie plan a fancy wedding that she actually doesn’t want, while Lorelai becomes fluent in diner speak.
Episode 18, “Back in the Saddle Again”
Rory and her Chilton schoolmates have a big school project for the annual business fair, and are in desperate need of an adult to be their advisor. Rory turns to her grandfather who is newly retired, and he realizes that he wants to start a second career.
Episode 21, “Lorelai’s Graduation Day”
Lorelai has done all the hard work, and is ready to get that diploma from her business school. While Rory ends up missing the ceremony because she ditches school to go to New York, Richard & Emily end up attending the ceremony and Lorelai gets the parent & child graduation picture that she never got when she was younger. It’s a proud moment for all three of them.
Episode 22, “I Can’t Get Started”
Weddings and spring go hand-in-hand. It is Sookie & Jackson’s big day, even if Sookie thinks she is going to walk down the aisle to “I Can’t Get Started” by Ella Fitzgerald… who listens to the lyrics anyway? At Chilton, it is time for student elections—If Paris can convince Rory to run with her, she won’t have to just be nice to people to win.
Season 3
Episode 16, “The Big One”
You have time to tie your shoes when Kirk is delivering the mail. Maybe Rory’s acceptance letter from Harvard is in his bag, but she’ll have to wait a little longer. Jackson starts to freak over being a father when Sookie finds out she is pregnant. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy.
Episode 17, “A Tale of Poes and Fire”
Who doesn’t love a spring evening listening to multiple performances of “The Raven”? It would give you a chance to compare and contrast the faux Poes foes. With all the events happening at the Independence Inn, Rory decides that she is going to attend Yale instead of Harvard or filthy, dirty Princeton.
Episode 18, “Happy Birthday, Baby”
Lorelai Gilmore’s birthday is April 25th, making her a Taurus and a spring baby. We are totally here to celebrate our favorite leading lady with the world’s (almost) largest pizza while calculating how many Jimmy Choos we can buy with $75,000.
Episode 19, “Keg! Max!”
The booster club is meeting to figure out their plans for grad night, while it is party time in Stars Hollow with Lane’s band as the main act. They may not be able to settle on a name but that won’t stop us from being front and center rocking out!
Episode 20, “Say Goodnight, Gracie”
Jess gets an unexpected visitor sprung on him—his father. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. He can’t buy prom tickets because he isn’t graduating—but Lane is going to go to prom with Dave. Just to please Mrs Kim, Dave reads the whole Bible from front to back. Yea, we are still swooning over that act.
Episode 22, “Those Are Strings, Pinocchio”
Get the tissues! The episode that is most likely to make you cry is definitely Rory’s Chilton graduation, and what says spring more than everyone gathering for an outdoor graduation ceremony. How much do you think it costs to insure a building like Chilton?
Season 4
Episode 15, “Scene in a Mall”
Sometimes playing hooky from your responsibilities is the only thing you can do on a spring day, so we choose to go window shopping like Roz Russell and Ava Gardner. It may not be as fun as it seems, but riding the escalator and visiting Howard who has free food is good enough.
Episode 17, “Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin’ the Twist”
It’s spring break for the students at Yale. Anything beats the cold rain in Connecticut, so they all pile into Glenn’s mom’s van and make their way to Florida in record time—thanks to Paris’s crazy driving. They went. They danced. They drank. They threw up. Rory and Paris officially participated in the social ritual of spring break.
Episode 21, “Last Week Fights, This Week Tights”
Liz and TJ are getting married, and it’s a big town event in the middle of the square. We are here for the turkey legs and renaissance language.
Season 5
Episode 15, “Jews and Chinese Food”
It’s time for the spring production at Stars Hollow Elementary… starring Kirk. The role of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” is a very demanding role.
Episode 18, “To Live and Let Diorama”
The Stars Hollow Museum has its grand opening, and make sure you grab your jacket, it’s a bit chilly. Three bucks for entrance to the museum that also includes Miss Patty’s Founders Day punch? Sounds like an excellent deal. Paris doesn’t know the dangers of the punch yet. Next time, she’ll take Lorelai’s advice and eat a loaf of bread before punch consumption.
Episode 21, “Blame Booze and Melville”
Rory is finishing up finals and slowly moving her stuff back home for the summer, while the girls try to throw Sookie a late baby shower. It gets interrupted by Sookie going into labor, or you know “it’s coming around the mountain.” Meanwhile, Luke gets into a bidding war for the Twickham house with Kirk of all people. How in the world did he get a quarter of a million dollars… just under—no one wants to brag. We knew there was a reason why Kirk took every single job that was available in Stars Hollow.
Season 6
Episode 16, “Bridesmaids Revisited”
Another wedding in the books… This time it is Honor, Logan’s sister. Rory may not be in a celebratory mood but she’ll apologize to Honor later for missing the ceremony. After all, it’s not Honor’s fault that Logan cheated on Rory. Were they broken up or just on a break?
Episode 18, “The Real Paul Anka”
It’s time for a field trip to Philadelphia, and a stop in to visit Jess at Truncheon Books. While Luke is in Philly, Lorelai is trying to dodge the potholes in Stars Hollow. She learns that Emily and Richard are looking to buy a house from Kirk, and there is no way she is going to let that happen.
Episode 19, “I Get a Sidekick Out of You”
Wedding number two of the season, and it is a good one. Lane and Zack tie the knot twice. Once for her grandmother that flew in from Korea, and the other for Mrs. Kim. There are only 58 seats and 62 Koreans—you better get to that church as fast as possible.
Episode 20, “Super Cool Party People”
Once Luke got over himself and let Lorelai help him with April’s birthday party, this is one sleepover that we are feeling the FOMO for, just like Sookie. Sign us up for fun makeovers and a showing of Sixteen Candles.
Season 7
Episode 16, “Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?”
Rory is taking trains to interview for post-graduation jobs while also trying to plan her best friend’s baby shower. Lorelai jumps in to help and to smooth out the drama between Lane and Mrs. Kim. It ends up being a fun celebration even if Lane has to be on bed rest. In true quirky Stars Hollow fashion, they end up pushing her in bed through the town to Miss Patty’s.
Episode 17, “Gilmore Girls Only”
It’s time for a road trip AND a wedding. Lorelai, Rory and Emily head down to North Carolina for Mia’s wedding. At least we think that’s Mia 😉.
Episode 18, “Hay Bale Maze”
Who is ready for the Spring Fling Festival? Taylor reallocated the budget to build a maze of hay through the center of town. He is even ripping out the gazebo with a crane. Crazy. But call us crazy because we are here for this hay bale maze.
Episode 19, “It’s Just Like Riding a Bike”
Paris has a point system, trying to decide between medical and law school options. On top of choosing a school, she also has Doyle to think about. She wasn’t supposed to meet The One at 22. Meanwhile, Lorelai has car issues and has to get her bicycle out of storage. But the car issues at least brings Luke back into her life. Arguments and all.
Episode 20, “Lorelai? Lorelai?”
The graduation celebration starts, while Rory stresses over the ending. For once she doesn’t know exactly what she is going to do. Lorelai makes it her mission to cheer Rory up, even if she has to get up and sing karaoke after Kirk.
Episode 21, “Unto The Breach”
Rory’s Yale graduation should be the happiest day of her life, but unfortunately it is also one of the saddest days with her turning down Logan’s marriage proposal. She has the whole world open to her, so as scary as that is, it is also exciting.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life “Spring”
The international food festival is a perfect addition to the town festival lineup. We feel like Taylor should have gotten Al involved though. We also get Kirk’s long awaited second short film to kick off the spring season of the Read, White and Black movie theater. Gorgeous day, don’t you think? It is the perfect one to wait in line.
What are your favorite Gilmore Girls episodes that you love to re-watch when the flowers are in bloom? Tell us in the comments! And definitely check out our autumn, winter and summer episode guides!
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